A smile through tears
by quistis04
Summary: Events after Bride. Clark, Chloe, Lana, and Oliver went to Star City to see what Lois and Jimmy are doing.


**Title: **A smile through tears

**Author: **quistis04

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Summary: **Events after Bride. Clark, Chloe, Lana, and Oliver went to Star City to see how Lois and Jimmy are doing.

**Spoiler/s: **Bride

**Author's Note: **This story is from Clark's POV. This is not beta'd. Sorry for the errors that you may encounter.

*********

Along the empty hallway two men and two women can be seen walking. One woman is running ahead of the three.

"Chloe, can you just slow down a little?" Lana asked as she huffs for air.

"No, I just want to see Jimmy already." Chloe said without looking back.

"It's ok Chloe, don't worry about us." Oliver Queen said while giving Lana a look.

"Thank you." I just watched my best friend run as fast as she can to be with her husband.

He too wants to use his super speed because he can't wait to see the woman who has been on his mind these past few months. He can't forget the look on her face when they were at Smallville General Hospital, when she was walking away from him. It broke his heart knowing that he cannot be with her in Star City to comfort her because he promised to find Chloe. He wanted to be with her but he knew that she will be happy if he finds Chloe and bring her back to her and to her husband.

He knew that he had hurt her when Lana showed up. He didn't know what to feel back then, seeing Lana again after she said her goodbye on a DVD. He just stood there staring at Lana not giving Lois a glance even after their almost kiss. A kiss that he wanted to happen and hope that Lois wanted to happen too, but it was broken even before it happened. And now, he knew that he will be starting all over again with Lois. He already had a glimpse of the wall that she's starting to put up once again on the day at the hospital and worse, he didn't call her, not once, when she was gone. He love to but restrained himself from doing so, because he knew that if he heard her voice he'll find himself running to Star City to be with her not minding if he found Chloe or not. But he knew that he needed to find Chloe. For her. For Lois.

"Clark! Are you even listening to a thing I just said?" Lana looked at me, waiting for me to answer Oliver.

"I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

"We're here. Chloe is already inside. They are just waiting for us."

"Oh! Ok."

The three of us walked inside the room and saw Chloe holding the hands of Jimmy who is still in coma. I started to look for someone when I saw a dark haired man sitting beside the window.

"Wayne!" Oliver approached the man.

"Why are you here?" added Oliver.

"I'm just accompanying Lois." The man replied.

"You know Lois?" Oliver asked.

"Yes."

"Where is she? Did something happen to her?" I asked worriedly. The two men looked at me.

"No, she's fine. She just went to her apartment to rest. She's always here, never leaving Jimmy because he doesn't want anything bad to happen to him while she's away and yesterday I got her to say yes in going to her apartment to rest. I promised her that I'll be looking out for Jimmy while she rest. She badly needs it." Bruce replied.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Bruce this is Clark Kent and the woman over there is Lana Lang and there beside her husband Jimmy is Chloe Sullivan. Guys, this man here is Bruce Wayne." Oliver made the introductions.

"Bruce Wayne? The Bruce Wayne, billionaire and philanthropist?" Chloe asked slightly wide eyed.

"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I heard so much about you from Lois." Bruce looked at them all and smiled at Chloe.

"I hope it's all good. How did you meet Lois?" Chloe returned a smile. Bruce is about to answer when he was cut off by none other than me.

"It's funny, you heard about us from Lois but we never heard about you from her." my brows furrowed as jealousy is starting to creep in. I wanted to make him think and feel that maybe he's not that important to Lois so she didn't mention him to us but I noticed him smile.

"She's my…." Lois came barrelling through the door.

"Bruce! Why the hell didn't you wake me up?! I told you to….CHLOE!?" Lois ran to her cousin and enveloped her in a fierce hug. I wanted to call her attention. I wanted her to give me a hug too just like what she gave to Chloe.

"Oh my! Are you ok? Did that monster hurt you?" Lois frantically examined Chloe to see if she acquired any injuries from the incident.

"Lois, I'm fine. Clark and the others save me."

"Thank goodness! I thought I'm going to lose you again. Don't ever do that to me again Chloe." She enveloped Chloe in a hug one more time.

"Hey, I'm here now." She reciprocated the hug and squeezed Lois' shoulders. "And I want to thank you for taking good care of Jimmy."

"It's nothing Chlo. Jimmy is already part of the family Chloe and besides I know that you wanted to know that your husband is not alone in this hospital room when you're found, that you will be happy knowing someone is there for Jimmy." Lois then noticed the other people in the room.

"Oliver, Lana, Clark, you're here too."

"Yeah, you know we don't want Chloe to travel alone. We didn't know where that monster went. We're still being cautious."

"Thank you Oliver and to you too Lana, and Clark can I talk to you for a second?" Lois looked at Oliver and Lana and then looked at me.

"Ok Lois." I looked shocked but excited that Lois wanted to talk to me. Hope is starting to creep in, that maybe the walls are not totally back. I followed Lois outside the room.

"Clark, I just wanted to thank you for finding and saving Chloe. You promised me and you brought her back to me, to us. Thank you." I looked at her eyes as she looked at me. I can see a myriad of emotions in her hazel eyes. There's a look of gratefulness for him, a look of relief that Chloe is with them now but also there's a look of restlessness for Jimmy. I wanted to hold her and tell her that Jimmy is going to be fine but when I stepped towards her she turned her back and walked towards the door, never looking back.

*********

Hope.

_What is it about hope again?_

Hope that Lois' walls are not back. But a few minutes ago that hope was shattered into pieces. She wanted to talk to me, yes, because she wanted to thank me privately but after our talk at the hallway, she was like the Lois I know from 2004…. or worse. She always wanted to bust my chops, she still do…. or did because after our talk she became indifferent towards me. She didn't, not for a second, glance at me. She's talking but when I asked her a question she only nodded or shook her head. She's talking to everyone but me. Not that it was not expected. It was. But I hoped.

She told all about Jimmy's development. She asked what happened back at Smallville. I wanted to tell her the truth, I do, but then I lied. Again. Half lied if that counts to something. We told her that we found Chloe outside of Smallville, we just didn't say where exactly and how. She said thank you again but didn't push for anymore information. She knew that they are hiding something but still didn't push. That's her. That's Lois Lane. She knows when to push or when not to push people into telling her something. That's one of the reasons why I love her.

Yes, I, Clark Kent is in love with one Lois Lane. I still didn't know when it happened, maybe when I was in Russia thinking about going home, home where Lois is, or maybe when I started working with her at the Planet, or maybe even before all of that, maybe when I met her at the cornfield 4 years ago I started falling for her. I just so caught up in the whole Lana thing that those feeling were buried inside me. But now those feelings started bubbling on the surface.

My train of thoughts were interrupted when I saw Oliver asking Lois something. I stopped thinking and focused my attention to them. And then I heard Oliver asking Lois a question I wanted to ask her but knew that she will only stare at me and not answer.

"So, what's the deal with Wayne here? How did you two know each other?" Yeah, what's the deal with him? Is he your boyfriend? Because if he is, I should have known, right?

"Bruce happens to be a childhood friend of mine. My parents were his Godparents and his parents were mine." Lois answered. She looked at me maybe because I released the breath that I was holding as relief flooded through me, a little louder. I looked at her but she looked away and continued talking.

"He heard about it on news and knew that Chloe Sullivan is my cousin so he rushed here in Star City to accompany me."

"She didn't like it at first but I told her that it's a good thing to also have back - up and to also have someone to talk to while she's here." I saw Bruce smiled at her and she smiled back. Again, that feeling in my chest called jealousy started creeping in. I wanted her to smile at me not him. I wanted to be her back – up not him.

I saw Chloe giving me a warning look. Oliver looking at me, amused. And Lana looked at me with a sad smile on her face. I wanted to ask them why they are looking at me like that but then I realized the handle at the sides of my chair had cracks and that I'm looking at Bruce Wayne like I wanted him to be set on fire.

I composed myself but I still have my eyes glued to Lois. She started talking to Chloe. My eyes wandered around the room. Bruce started talking to Oliver about some business thing. And Lana who is sitting at the corner looked at me. I looked at her for a second and then looked away. My eyes made their way to where Lois is. I started thinking back to the days when she can't stop talking to me, when she gives me journalism advice, when she busts my chops, when she calls me if she needs help, when she smiles at me and laughs at me, even at my expense, and when she calls me _Smallville_. Yes, I miss her calling me _Smallville_. Before, it irritates me when she calls me that but now it bothers me if she didn't call me that even for a day. And I promised myself that I will do anything and everything just to bring that back.

*********

"Hey Lois, wait for me." Lois just looked at me then looked away and continued walking fast to the elevator. I started running. I didn't want to be left behind by Lois.

Jimmy woke up yesterday. It was a happy event. Lots of hugs were given. Even Lois was so happy that she hugged me but after realizing that it was me, she stopped, looked at me, and then, turned around. Today, Lois decided to buy something for breakfast for all of us. Before Bruce offered to accompany her, Jimmy Olsen, bless him, told Lois to let me come so I can accompany her. I know she wanted to refuse. We can see it in her eyes but because Jimmy just woke up yesterday, she didn't argue with him.

"Ok. But try to keep up." Lois said to me then turned towards the door. Now, here we are at the hallway towards the elevator. Lois ahead of me and I am trying to keep up.

We boarded the elevator. Only the two of us are inside. My heart is beating fast. I know she doesn't like uncomfortable silence but that was before this all happened. Right now, I know she preferred to have the silence than talking to me. But I know I should say something to her. Should I bring what happened at the night of the wedding or not? But one thing is for sure, I'll explain why I didn't call her these past weeks.

"Lois, I'm sorry if I didn't call you these past weeks. You see…."

"You don't have to explain Clark." _Smallville_, you love to call me _Smallville_ remember?

"I know that you had so many works to do back there. You're looking for Chloe and then Lana is back and the two of you need to catch up."

"No!" I shouted the words. She looked at me, brows furrowed at my sudden outburst.

"I didn't call you because if I did I….I…." I started stuttering.

"You what?" Lois looked at me with one eyebrow higher than the other one, arms folded on her chest.

"I didn't call because if I did and I hear your voice, I'm afraid that I'll come running here in Star City to be with you never minding to look for Chloe. I know it's bad but I really don't know if I have enough self restraint to not to do that." I told her so fast that I thought she didn't understand a word I just said but I noticed the shocked look on her face. Then I continued.

"But then I told myself that I needed to find Chloe because I promised you that we're going to get her back. I promised Lois. And I don't want to break that promise to you." I saw tears started running from her eyes. I stepped forward, hugging her, making soothing hand motions on her back. She didn't pushed me away instead she hugged me back. Lois Lane hugged me back.

"Thank you…." I heard her say. I know she's smiling through tears.

"….Smallville" And now, I'm smiling through my tears.

*********


End file.
